Writing Blog – Writing, ArmadilloCon, and the Power of NO

Yay a random writing blog with 30% less Random! Whee! I can hear the excitement now. (And there was much rejoicing.)

So in no particular order – ah, heck, let’s go backwards from the order of the title – mix things up. Can’t you tell I live dangerously? One of the scariest and most liberating words a writer can use in his or her career is, “NO.” Even as an “up and coming” writer, no can be your friend. It can also be the hardest word to say. Sometime – and this happens to experienced writers as much as newcomers – we, as writers, want to keep working as much as possible. We need to keep our name out there, publish more – and generally that means taking on a lot of projects. Like any and all projects that come our way. We “justify” it as “career-building”; or as a favor to a publisher/cause/convention; and even occasionally a good paycheck.

BUT WAIT! How can this be a bad thing? Having a “feast” situation when many writers have a “famine” situation? The problem comes when suddenly you have multiple projects – of varying degrees of length, difficulty, and style – coming due at the same time. That kind of stress can have serious at the same time. That kind of stress can have serious consequences. It also means the likelihood of you putting out your best work…slim. No one wants that. Ever.

So, what do you do? Take a look at the opportunity. If you can, in good conscience say no, say no. If you get in over your head and accept too many projects. It’s okay – if it’s early in the game and won’t cause a huge hardship – to go to the publisher/editor/partner and come clean and say you can’t do the project. It’s definitely better than blowing the deadline. [Don't be a jerk!] It’s even okay to turn down a project if you can’t do the project justice. Just make sure you weigh your projects carefully.

In fact (personal anecdote and segue time) this happened to me at ArmadilloCon in Austin this past weekend. I had to back out of a project that I was just starting to seriously look into when one of my writing partners brought a comatose project back to life with a fairly firm time line target. We haven’t worked on the project for a year because of his schedule, now we’re clearing parts of both our schedules to get it finished. I couldn’t finish the two novels I’ve been trying to finish, finish that project, start the planning and execution of the next possible ROTA project AND the project above. Something had to give. Since that project hadn’t really started up, it was less painful to back out now.

And that’s what ArmadilloCon was for me – that opportunity to catch up with writing partners (both current and potential) in person, make new friends, and have some good fun. And where else can I have the opportunity to hug Howard Waldrop and learn a life lesson from Neal Barrett, Jr. while wearing a cocktail dress and Vorpal Bunny slippers (me, not Mr. Barrett) within a 36 hour period. His lesson to me was (in relation to roasts and humor), “Get them before they get you.” Amen, Mr. Barrett, amen.

So, to finish up this longish post…where does that leave the writing? Already behind. Very, very behind. But there is a plan. One less thing is on the plate so I can control feeling overwhelmed to some degree. I’ve got plans – which is always the hard part of the battle. My novel is at its second major publisher (one just came open again to electronic subs!). FenCon is rapidly approaching which will be hectic, but trigger more creative flow. Until then – full steam ahead. Now, let’s all go write something fictional.

Tags: ArmadilloCon, No, Writing